Not About Love
by Alison May
Summary: Lee and Kara have a confrontation about Kara's relationship with Bill Adama.


Authors note: This is an AU set on the Galatica during the Cylon attacks, but if Kara was never engaged to Zak and only met Lee after the attacks. Not About Love 

Lee had just got off his shift when he saw Petty Officer Dualla walking toward him in the corridor, with an expression of determination on her face. Lee smiled slightly, even in this time of war, Dee had been one of the few members of Galatica's crew who went out of her way to be friendly and make him feel welcome.

"Lee, can I talk to you about something?" she asked him in a slightly hushed tone

"Do we need to go somewhere private?" Lee asked with a degree of playfulness in his voice.

"No I don't want to make a big deal out of this," Dee paused and braced herself slightly before continuing. "Are you sleeping with Kara Thrace?" she finished.

"I hate to think what kind of conversation you'd actually want to have in private," Lee answered, with a level of intensity under his playful response that Dee didn't miss.

"That's what the Galatica rumor mill has been saying and its rarely wrong," Dee responded.

"The rumor mill says you are sleeping with Billy Keikeya," Lee challenged.

"I am," Dee responded without a trace of embarrassment.

"No, I'm not sleeping with Kara," Lee finally answered her question.

"Good, that makes this easier," Dee said, relief clear on her face and continued. "I don't even know if this is any of my business, but no one else is going to tell you, and I think you deserve to know, whether or not you are sleeping with her," Dee paused slightly and took a deep breath. "Did you ever wonder why you hear rumors about every member of the crew except Kara?" she finished and Lee looked puzzled.

"Where is this going, Dee?" he asked somewhat impatiently.

"Kara has been sleeping with your father." Dee answered and looked at Lee's face apprehensively. For a moment he looked like he might bolt off down the hall so she continued.

"Its only been happened for the last few months. The Galatica was so close to decommissioning and he wouldn't have been her commanding officer anymore, so the crew turned a blind eye. I just thought you should know." She finished with concern.

"Thank you Dee." he told her and took off down the hall toward Kara's bunkroom. He entered the room and let the door slam behind him. Conveniently the room was empty except for Kara's sleeping form. She awoke at the noise and sat up in her bunk wearing her bra and shorts only. Lee tried to not be distracted by the expanse of her toned stomach.

"Am I late for our workout, Lee?" she questioned, stretching slightly. He didn't answer her question but instead cut directly to the chase.

"Have you been sleeping with my father?" he asked. An unexpected hint of desperation slipped into his question. She actually outwardly flinched as if he had hit her, and slipped of her bunk and began pulling on her clothing. She slipped on one of her tanks and answered him.

"Yes," she stated simply.

"You've been sleeping with my father?" he asked again. The desperation was gone, replaced with something harder that Kara didn't like one bit.

"Yes, I've been sleeping with Bill," she stated calmly.

"And you didn't think to tell me?" he asked.

"Can you understand why I might have wanted to avoid this lovely conversation?" she moved away and continued getting dressed.

"I thought we were friends," Lee answered softly.

"Are you eight years old? Lee, what do you want from me?" Kara exploded slightly and was rewarded by a wounded look.

"I want the truth? Do you love him?"

"Please don't make this about love." She tried to brush past him but he stood solidly in her way.

"So its simply about fracking my father." Lee made unrelenting eye contact and finally she met his gaze.

"Lee, wake up! If I simply wanted to frack someone would I really choose the commander of this ship? If that's all I wanted I wouldn't have to go past the ready room," Kara challenged him with her own unrelenting eye contact.

"So your fracking pilots too?" Lee spat out.

"Lee, what was I supposed to do?" Kara sat back down on her bunk and her voice softened. "Hold off on every relationship I've ever had because someone better might come along? Someone younger, better looking, someone who might love me more?" she finished at such a low volume that Lee had to lean in to hear her.

"So he doesn't love you?" Lee matched her volume

"Don't make this about love!" Kara exhaled sharply.

"What would you like it to be about?" Lee finished with frustration.

"Lets start with the fact that you feel betrayed by me. Have I ever promised you anything? Has my attention ever been more than friendly? Did I make a mistake in respecting you so the other pilots would follow my example?" she refused to look him in the eyes after she finished speaking.

"I'm not alone in these feeling towards you." Lee stated. It was the only thing in the entire confrontation that he'd felt sure about.

"But feelings are not a promise of any kind," she responded gently.

"If things were different…"

"What, Lee, if things were different and we were back on Caprica? If the Cylons had never attacked? I could be _married_ to you father. I could be his trophy wife who is years younger than his handsome military son," Kara said slightly bitterly. She reached out and put her hand flat on Lee's chest. It was the first time they'd touched throughout the conversation, and he was slightly surprised by her action. She pulled him closer and continued. "And what then Lee, we'd have an affair and break you fathers heart?" she finished and gave him a push away.

"You're not married to my father." He responded steadily.

"But we're on a military ship. Look around you, Lee; it's the end of the world. Its not like one of us can transfer so we can be together."

"Kara, I love you."

"Don't make this about love. If you make this about love we are both fracked. I'd bolt that door and we'd have ripped Bill's heart out of his chest as quickly as we could get the cloths off each other." Kara was almost in tears. Lee moved closed but didn't make any move to touch her.

"So if its not about love, what is it about?" he questioned gently.

"Lee, I'm not sleeping with your father any more." She responded.

"Why didn't you tell me that to begin with?" he asked her, not too gently.

"Because it changes nothing. We didn't end our relationship because feelings are gone. We ended it because the circumstances that allowed it to begin no longer exist. He's the commander of an entire fleet, he judgment can't be compromised because he is sleeping with one of his pilots. And face it, is the CAG and a pilot fracking really that much better than the commander and a pilot?" Kara finished tentatively, unsure what Lee's response might be.

"I'm glad that you didn't wait," Lee suddenly said.

"What?"

"I'm glad that you didn't sit around waiting for me," he explained.

"I wish I had," Kara said.

"Don't think that. You lived your live. You had no way of knowing how it would all turn out," Lee said as he stood. He suddenly knew that he had to leave if he was going to keep his resolve.

"Please don't hate your father." Kara said, remaining on her bunk.

"For having good taste?" Lee said with a hint of his usual humor.

"I know you've never forgiven him for abandoning your mother after your brother died when you were young. Its not something he's proud of," Kara responded.

"That is between him and me, Kara. This isn't." Lee looked at her appraisingly.

"So, we're what…friends?" she questioned him.

"I prefer 'frack up pilot and CAG,'" Lee answered.

"Maybe someday…" Kara said tentatively as she stood up. She moved slightly closer to Lee, while he backed away from her gently.

"Don't hold your breath," Lee answered. He opened the door and furthered the distance between them even more

"I'm sorry." Kara told him beseechingly. Lee studied her face. He saw the longing in her eyes but couldn't decide what or even whom exactly she was longing for. So he didn't answer but moved into the corridor and let the door close behind him.

"I'm sorry too," he spoke gently in the hall, knowing she would never hear the words.


End file.
